


A Thousand Times

by KrisEleven



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrisEleven/pseuds/KrisEleven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neither as the Blue Fairy nor as Mother Superior had she been afraid of speaking the truth, making the hard decisions, or standing her ground. But she wondered, as she walked towards Rumpelstiltskin's shop, if her bravery wasn't tinged with stupidity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Times

* * *

Neither as the Blue Fairy nor as Mother Superior had she been afraid of speaking the truth, making the hard decisions, or standing her ground. But she wondered, as she walked towards Rumpelstiltskin's shop, if her bravery wasn't tinged with stupidity.

The bells rang as she pushed open the door and walked inside. She looked around, noting the magic in objects displayed as if they belonged to this world. As Mr. Gold, he had been amassing power for twenty-eight years, and it answered one of many questions she'd had; he'd known all along who he was, though everyone else had forgotten.

It explained how the man could hate _nuns_ , anyway.

"You're _still_ not welcome here," he said from the doorway behind the counter.

She was surprised, despite herself, to see he still looked like Mr. Gold. Still just a man, well dressed and hiding a quiet rage that she'd always recognized and never known the cause of.

She knew now.

"I won't come in any further," she said.

He laughed. "You won't, because you are _leaving_ my shop. Unless you have magic, to insist?" He smiled at her silence. "I thought not."

"A land without magic," she said as he turned to leave. He stopped, and she could see even from across the room that his grip tightened on his cane. "You were behind this curse. Not the Queen."

"Oh, she was behind it, dearie."

"But you gave it to her."

He turned and raised one finger. "Sold," he corrected. "Not _gave_. I am not in the business of charity," he said with a flourish of his raised hand.

"Why would you do it?" she whispered, staring at him. His smile faded. "I _told_ you what the price would be. It wasn't just your sacrifice; all of us lost everything for you to be brought here. What right did you have –"

"What _right_?" he asked. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut her off as abruptly as if he had shouted. "What _right_ did I have? The same right _you_ had to meddle in my affairs." He slammed his cane on the desk, the action so sudden and unexpected that she jumped, her heartbeat racing. "You lost me my boy!"

"He made a wish –"

"No! _You_ wanted rid of me and you used him to that end."

She couldn't deny it, but still raised her chin defiantly. "You could have gone with him. Why did you choose to remain behind, Rumpelstiltskin?" He glared at her and didn't answer. "So now you're willing to sacrifice us all for the chance to find your son?"

"A _thousand times_ ," he hissed. There was silence between them. He was breathing heavily, but when he leaned back and looked away from her, his expression was once again a mask.

"If you're not going to buy something," he said, "you can show yourself out."

The bells rang again as she obeyed. Her hands shook. Yes, she supposed: more than just a _tinge_ of stupidity.


End file.
